You’ve probably heard by now that several dictionaries recently altered the entry for “literally” to include a definition that basically means the opposite of literally, that it can be used to described things that aren’t actually literal. I noticed in some of the responses to these events that people are quite irate that dictionaries have redefined… Continue reading Dictionaries don’t decide what words mean
Category: Grammar
Difference between “between” and “among”
“Between” and “among” are two commonly confused words, but remembering the difference is fairly straightforward.
Why I advocate for the use of Ms.
Indulge me for a minute or two, as I get a bit political in this post. I debated posting on this topic, but ultimately opted in favour of it given its connection to language and usage. While many seem to believe that the English honorific “Ms” was a recent invention of feminists, its actually as… Continue reading Why I advocate for the use of Ms.
Difference between “an” and “and”
The following is a reader submission. I received this request form a regular reader last week: Hey Kim, I have a friend on Facebook. He and his daughter use the word “an” instead of “and”. I assume it’s lack of education because I know their background. I feel embarrassed for both of them when they… Continue reading Difference between “an” and “and”
Difference between loose and lose
“Lose” is a verb. It means to misplace something or to not win something. I better not lose my car keys again. I predict that the Hurricanes will lose their last hockey game. “Loose” is an adjective and means something that isn’t tight or it’s free from constraint. My pants are too loose. Lethbridge roads are… Continue reading Difference between loose and lose
Difference between than and then
Here’s another difference between post. These are some of the most popular content on my blog. It’s fairly common for even native English speakers to confuse “than” and “then”. The difference is stark and easy to remember. “Then” is always used in reference to a sequence of events, as in: We went to the store, then we… Continue reading Difference between than and then
Difference between to, too, and two
As I was choosing a topic for today’s writing post, I thought it was time I wrote another difference between post. As I was going through my records, I realized that I have yet to do a post on the difference between “to”, “too”, and “two”. These are three of the most confused words out… Continue reading Difference between to, too, and two
7 words that keep confusing the Internet: reader edition
Yesterday marked a month since I posted an article to LinkedIn that I had titled 7 words that keep confusing the Internet. It turned out to be my most popular article on LinkedIn. In fact, it’s still my most popular. It received over 50,000 views and 345 thumbs up. It was tweeted (not counting retweets) nearly… Continue reading 7 words that keep confusing the Internet: reader edition
Comma splices: How to knock this opponent out cold
Over the last ten years or so, a punctuation error that was once rare has started to become popular. For some reason, those who seem to use it the most appear to be younger: mid-30s and under. Here’s what it is and how to fix it.
Difference between pour and pore
While editing for a client recently, I noticed the incorrect use of “pour”. I realized this might be another good topic for a difference between post. Pour is a verb, and it refers to the act of causing something to flow in a steady stream from one place to another (e.g. Let me pour you… Continue reading Difference between pour and pore